this morning #2284.

this morning, her hand on the small of my back was all that i needed. for now. a soft, steady presence while i stood there taking in the news. i don’t know how she knew to place it there but there it was. no words. no movement at all. just warmth & the knowledge that, from this moment on, i wouldn’t be in this alone. if i’d known that she was capable of that sort of compassion, i might’ve acted differently toward her. who knew? this entire time, she’d been hiding a secret, sensitive side behind her no-nonsense demeanor. in the decade or so that we’ve known each other, i’ve never seen her cry but, as the news continued & her hand sat there helping me stay strong, she let out a quick sniffle. her hand trembled just a little. i guess something that’d been said hit her close to home.